Systems for transmitting large blocks of data in short intervals of time or transmitting high speed data over relatively long distances use fiber optic links. A common misperception associated with the use of fiber optic links is that fiber optic links eliminate all problems related to electromagnetic interference. Due to this misperception, most fiber optic implementations do not minimize the effect of electromagnetic interference.
Electro-magnetic interference may enter and leave a computer system in various ways. In particular, electro-magnetic interference may enter or leave a computer system enclosure through an electrical aperture associated with a fiber optic cable connector. The electrical aperture occurs between the fiber optic connector and the computer system enclosure because the fiber optic connector is constructed of plastic or similar non-conductive material while the computer system enclosure includes metal or other electrically conductive material. The electrical aperture is a common point of entry or exit for electro-magnetic energy in current systems with fiber optic links.